[ad_1]
Texas counted more than 10,000 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 for the first time since early February as a recent summer surge in coronavirus cases continues to drain critical care resources across the state.
According to state health data released Tuesday, the state has only 329 occupied intensive care beds out of 8,283 hospital beds for about 30 million people. Central Texas hospitals, which were also battling the effects of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, were limited to just two occupied intensive care beds and saw pediatric patients triple, local health officials said Tuesday.
Despite the urgency of the public health crisis, political and legal controversy continues to shape any government response:
• Governor Greg Abbott, who has banned local governments and school districts from prescribing masks and other restrictions, is urging hospitals to voluntarily postpone some medical procedures to free up hospital resources.
• Officials in Dallas, San Antonio, and Bexar Counties have filed lawsuits against Abbott’s ban on local masking mandates, as well as a child advocacy group in the state.
• Two school districts in Dallas and Austin voted against his order to pass mask mandates, while others are considering similar measures.
Hospital admissions have tripled in the past month for children under the age of 17, said Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin-Travis County Health Department, told Travis County Commissioners on Tuesday. In June, 11 children with COVID-19 were hospitalized and by July the number had more than tripled to 34. The majority of the cases, Walkes reported, involve children between the ages of 10 and 18.
Start of school:What parents need to know about starting school in 2021
As the Austin area prepares for the school year and fall festival season, local health officials can only encourage masks in public spaces and work with event organizers and businesses to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Austin Public Health and Travis County reported 583 new coronavirus cases and 81 new hospital admissions on Tuesday. Health officials counted 569 people in the hospital on Tuesday, 188 of them in intensive care and 128 on ventilators.
Just a month ago, on July 10, Travis County had 98 coronavirus patients in the hospital, 39 of them in intensive care units and 21 on ventilators.
The Texas Department of Health’s O Region – made up of 2.3 million people in 11 counties: Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Lee, Llano, and San Saba – had only two unoccupied intensive care beds, according to the state data from Tuesday.
With so few ICU beds left in the area and with coronavirus cases rising, Austin-Travis County health officials are encouraging masks, social distancing and vaccinations for residents.
“Masks are important and I support both masking and contact tracing,” said Walkes.
Of the total hospitalized patients in local hospitals, more than 80% are not vaccinated. Fully and partially vaccinated residents were hospitalized, but at far lower rates, she said.
Testing:UT calls for COVID-19 tests for all students before the first day of school
Masks urgently required
Last week Austin Public Health officials approved the Level 5 protocols, which reflect the highest level of coronavirus threat to those at high risk of severe symptoms or death from the virus.
Level 5 encourages all residents to wear masks and return to social distancing practices, including those who are fully or partially vaccinated and have pre-existing health conditions. Residents should also use roadside and contactless delivery options for groceries and shopping, and avoid all travel and gatherings.
However, masks are not required.
But without the masking, Walkes said, cases are expected to skyrocket as schools reopen to students and festivals, live music events and other large gatherings increase for the fall.
On Monday night, the Austin School District announced that it would demand masks despite Governor Abbott’s orders to ban mask mandates. The mask mandate goes into effect Wednesday and requires masks on all campuses and properties in the school district. The first day of school is August 17th.
During a joint meeting on Tuesday, city and county leaders welcomed the county’s move to require masks.
Masks are not yet required for large festivals and outdoor gatherings, although, according to Walkes, health authorities are in constant discussions with the various organizers.
“We assume the transmission is not that high outdoors, but there have been cases of transmission in large groups where people do not have social distance,” Walkes said. “We ask people to mask themselves in outdoor environments that do not allow adequate social distancing.”
In addition, she said, large gatherings are assessed on a case-by-case basis and recommendations are made based on daily numbers.
Blues on the Green, the free outdoor concert series in Zilker Park, postponed the concerts planned for this week on Monday, citing the latest wave of coronavirus cases.
Other concerts and live shows have followed similar protocols, with some requiring negative COVID-19 testing.
The Austin City Limits music festival, slated for the first two weekends of October, has not announced any changes to its attendance protocols.
Masking is also encouraged in playgrounds, especially for children who are too young to be vaccinated.
Walkes said officials are working with local businesses promoting mitigation strategies that include capacity constraints and masking.
Intensify vaccinations, test
Achieving herd immunity – or when enough of a community is vaccinated to make the disease unlikely to spread – remains a priority, Austin public health officials said Tuesday.
Approximately 75% of Travis County’s residents ages 12 and older have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. According to the state, around 64% of people aged 12 and over are fully vaccinated.
Austin interim director of public health Adrienne Sturrup said she is continuing testing and vaccination efforts across the region, with an emphasis on neighborhoods east of Interstate 35 where vaccination rates are lagging.
She said the tests also focus on long-term care facilities such as assisted living facilities and homeless shelters. For those who can’t make it to a test site, in-home tests are also available all week.
Vaccination campaigns will continue throughout the area, with mobile operations also available for residents.
Officials said about 1,300 doses are given weekly, but vaccination rates also continue to lag in Austin’s black and Hispanic communities, Sturrup said Tuesday.
“We are currently targeting these areas primarily to provide pop-up clinics, mobile vaccination services and educational events,” said Charles Brotherton, district manager for emergency services. “We continue to do a good job and are working to expand our efforts. We want everyone to be aware that these options are readily and readily available any day of the week, and we want our residents to be vaccinated. ”
Prepare for the worst
Hospitals are bursting at the seams and hospital staffing is still a nationwide battle, Walkes said.
She said the health department is working with state leaders to fill the staffing gaps and set up an outpatient infusion center.
Plans to open a field hospital are underway but not yet set up. Hospital transfers are also not to be expected due to the lack of staff, said Walkes.
Hospital officials were unwilling to make a public statement.
“We could open another facility, but we’re still working on it and trying to find a place to set that up,” said Walkes. “Right now we’re trying to support hospitals and withstand the surge we’re seeing.”
[ad_2]
